Associations between paternal engagement and child development outcomes in Lebanon: a multilevel cross-sectional analysis of national data - Scorecard - MDSpire
Clinical Scorecard: The Relationship Between Father Involvement and Child Development Outcomes in Lebanon: A Multilevel Analysis of National Data
At a Glance
Category
Detail
Condition
Child early developmental outcomes and their association with paternal engagement in caregiving
Key Mechanisms
Paternal engagement was measured through five stimulation and three caregiving activities; ECD was assessed using age-standardised developmental scores.
Target Population
Children aged 0–59 months and their caregivers and households in Lebanon; the analysis included 1,181 children.
Care Setting
Population-based, cross-sectional survey research in Lebanon, a crisis-affected setting.
Key Highlights
Higher paternal engagement was associated with higher child ECD scores: a one-unit increase corresponded to a 0.22 SD increase (SE 0.11; p<0.05).
Sensitivity estimates for the association ranged from 0.13 to 0.32 SD.
The study found no evidence that the association varied by cluster-level household assets or household nationality.
Within- and between-cluster engagement components were positive but not statistically significant.
The analysis used nationally representative 2023 survey data, survey weights, multiple imputation and hierarchical linear models.
Guideline-Based Recommendations
Diagnosis
ECD was represented by a pooled, age-standardised z-score combining scores from the Global Scales of Early Development-Household Form for ages 0–23 months and the Early Childhood Development Index-2030 for ages 24–59 months.
Management
The authors suggest that ECD programmes and policies in crisis-affected settings could intentionally support fathers as everyday caregivers, alongside mothers, other kin and broader social protection.
Monitoring & Follow-up
The study assessed five paternal stimulation activities and three caregiving activities; the engagement measure had α=0.73.
Risks
The article describes Lebanon’s economic and social instability, conflict, displacement and service interruptions as features of the crisis context.
Patient & Prescribing Data
Children aged 0–59 months in Lebanon represented in the 2023 Lebanon Micronutrient, Anthropometric and Child Development Survey; 1,181 children were included.
No treatment or prescribing intervention was evaluated. The study reports an observational association between paternal engagement and child developmental scores.
Clinical Best Practices
Interpret the reported association as observational; the study used cross-sectional data.
Consider the study’s age-specific developmental instruments and pooled standardised score when interpreting its ECD outcome.
The authors propose including support for fathers in ECD programmes and policies alongside support for mothers, other kin and wider social protection.
by Junita Henry, Alya Al Sager, Lama Charafeddine, Amirhossein Yarparvar, Nicolai Petry, Omar Obeid, Carla El Mallah, Luke W Miratrix, Joelle Najjar, Janneke Hartvig Blomberg, Pamela Zgheib, Aisha K Yousafzai
